SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant volleyball team kickstarted their 50^th anniversary celebration with a four-set victory over the UNH Wildcats on Friday night in front of a raucous Chace Athletic Center.

Match Information
Final: Bryant 3, UNH 1
Records: Bryant (14-10, 5-2 America East), UNH (9-12, 3-5 America East)
Location: Chace Athletic Center, Smithfield, R.I.

COACH GARLACY'S COMMENTS
"Tremendous team effort tonight with Madison Koeller running a great tempo and spreading the offense. Our defense was outstanding, and we executed well on free balls and transition balls. Proud of our team tonight!"

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• SET 1 – The Bulldogs took the first set 25-17 over the Wildcats. Bryant used two different stretches of 4-0 runs to build a comfortable lead over UNH. The first put the Bulldogs up 13-9 led by a kill from London Hunt and three consecutive kills from Arianna Ugolini. The second 4-0 run gave Bryant the 21-14 advantage, powered by kills from Ugolini and Kaitlin Curran and a service ace from Nina Gavin. The Bulldogs polished off the first set with another kill from Curran, an ace from Koeller, and a big rip from Ugolini to win it.
• SET 2 – Bryant used the momentum from the previous set to take home the second 25-20. The turning point came in the middle stages of the set, as the Bulldogs used a 6-0 run to jump in front 17-14, as Brookelyn Talmadge, Ruth Ochelli, and Curran each pounded a kill, and Carrina Barron notched a pair of service aces. The Bulldogs then padded their lead to 22-18, engineered by five combined kills from Talmadge, Ugolini, Koeller, and Curran. Hunt then put on the finishing touches by adding a block and demolishing a kill to seal the second set 25-20.
• SET 3 – The Wildcats bounced back in a massive way in the third set, earning the 25-20 victory and forcing a fourth set. UNH raced out to a 12-5 lead and never looked back. The Bulldogs made a late push winning five out of six points in the late stages to cut the deficit to 24-20. The late comeback was sparked by a pair of kills from Ochelli and a kill each from Koeller and Curran. The rally fell short however, as the Wildcats closed out the third set.
• SET 4 – The fourth set proved to be a thriller with plenty of back-and-forth action. The Wildcats started with a dominant run, going up 14-8. The Bulldogs countered by going on an impressive 12-4 run to take the 20-18 lead, capped off by kills from Hunt and Koeller. The seesaw battle continued as UNH responded with a 3-0 run to regain the lead 21-20. Bryant then won four out of the next five points to jump back in front 24-22 led by a pair of kills from Ochelli and another from Curran. The Wildcats then tied the score at twenty-four a piece. The thrilling match ended with an extended rally, capped off with a thundering kill from Talmadge to earn the win for the Bulldogs on their home court.

STATS

• Ruth Ochelli finished with a game-high 15 kills.
• Madison Koeller tallied a game-high 48 assists.
• Carrina Barron posted a game-high 23 digs.
• London Hunt finished with a team-high three total blocks.

MATCH NOTES

• The Bulldogs now sit in sole possession of first place in the America East with a win tonight, improving their conference record to 5-2 overall. 
• Bryant has now won their last five home matches in a row. 
• The Bulldogs have won 11 out of their last 13 matches. 
• Bryant completed the series sweep over UNH. 
• Arianna Ugolini recorded her eighth double-double of the season, posting 13 kills and 15 digs.
• Ruth Ochelli now has three consecutive games with 10+ kills.
• London Hunt now has 16 games with multiple blocks this season.
• Madison Koeller recorded her ninth double-double of the season, posting 48 assists and 15 digs. She now has 9 games with 40+ assists this season.
• Carrina Barron now has seven games with 20+ digs this season.

NEXT UP
The Bulldogs wrap up the weekend with another home match on Sunday (Nov. 2) against the UMBC Retrievers, marking their 50^th anniversary match. First serve is at 1:00 PM at the Chace Athletic Center.